Quartz- Tales from the Future
by Lizardstep
Summary: Welcome to Pyrrhia, twenty years into the future. All wars have ceased, yet secret and distress still lurks in the corners. Follow a new generation of dragonets to their adventures at Jade Mountain Academy and beyond!
1. Under Two Moons

She can feel it. She was going to come out any moment now. A beam of light shot through the egg shell. She reached her hand through the hole and patted on the outside of the shell. It broke into pieces (not quite), and she was out.

In the sky, she saw two bright objects. They shone bright upon the rainforest, until a third brighter object rose from the horizon. The sun. She stared at the beautiful sight, and a deep voice rang behind her.

"We're going to call you Lightbreaker."

**A/N: New chapters will be released every second Sunday! **


	2. Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy- Part 1

Lightbreaker sleeping corner was messier than it has ever been. Today is the day she is going to meet dragons from all over the continent! Though the trip from the rainforest to Jade Mountain Academy wasn't particularly far, her mother dug her awake early to check on everything.

"Your pouch," Darktalon muttered, staring at the pouch she was carrying, "blankets, pens, empty scrolls, is that everything?"

Her mother's ash-covered claws tapped a distracting pattern on the walls of the hut. It's her habit for every time she gets nervous. Three Moons, and it was Lightbreaker who was going to a school full of dragons she didn't know!

"Oh, your glasses!" Grabbing the pair of silver-glinting glasses that laid on the table, Darktalon rushed over to her and placed them in her claws. "I don't know how you keep forgetting about your own eye problems, but you better remember at the academy."

Lightbreaker quickly snatched the glasses away from her mother. "Thanks," she said, hoping her face didn't look as startled as she really was. She never actually had eye problems, but she lied to her mother to get the glasses.

Her family wasn't particularly rich. Her father Peacemaker is a fruit picker, and also the starter of the annual strawberry festival. Darktalon, her mother, works as one of the only blacksmiths in the NightWing village. However, now that there is no war, no dragon needs weapons, so she switched to making glasses.

The pair of glasses she was holding right now was one of her mother's masterpieces. The silver frame twisted gracefully, and finished with a leaf at the end. Its beauty was one of the reasons Lightbreaker got glasses from her mother, secretly prescriptionless after her slight modification. The other was, well, because she needed something to protect herself from the NightWings out there who can mindread. She put the glasses on, relieved that she managed to fix it up before any mindreading and perhaps extremely hostile NightWings found out about her secret.

Lightbreaker was an Animus.

She knew her powers must have came from someone else in her family, but it couldn't have been her parents, or Granny Hope, and she was pretty sure none of her ancestors within the past four generations had Animus magic, either.

The past four years of wondering had done nothing. She bet all the other Animuses out there had already done world-changing magic by the time they turned four. Here she was, a NightWing with the ability to turn invisible and do magic, yet has never been outside the rainforest in her life?

Darktalon coughed. "Lightbreaker, dear, are you going to stand there for the rest of the day?"

Lightbreaker blinked out of her thoughts, seeing her mother in front of her, annoyed but very amused. "We have to go now," her mother sang.

She took a step forward, but stopped as her gaze focused on the carved strawberry on the desk. Does she still need that? She paused in consideration.

"C'mon, we don't have all day!" Called Darktalon at the door. Maybe she should keep it with her just in case. Lightbreaker promptly grabbed the carving, shoved it into her pouch, and hurried away.

The NightWing village consists of several rows of wooden huts, forming a bare pathway that leads to a magnificent treetop platform. It was said to be built by Queen Allegiance herself, a few years before Lightbreaker was born, when the NightWings decided to break away from Queen Glory's reign. Lightbreaker had always wondered why; occasionally when Queen Glory visited the NightWing village, she always helped resolve disputes between dragons.

She turned and hugged Darktalon goodbye. "Are you really going to be fine flying on your own?" Her mother continued to fuss.

"I'm not a young dragonet anymore!" She exclaimed, and Darktalon smiled reassuringly.

Lightbreaker noticed her mother's talon beginning to tap the ground in the same tense way. "I-In any case," she stammered out, "feel free to come back to the rainforest whenever you want to. You know, if your clawmate isn't welcoming."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Lightbreaker stepped backwards, and watched her mother wave to her one last time. She then spun and headed for the sky.

As Lightbreaker flew towards Jade Mountain, she thought of what the school would look like. She wondered if she would meet any dragons she knew. Perhaps, she thought, she would meet the dragonets of the Prophecy Dragonets, or maybe even the Dragonets themselves.

Being with the NightWings for the past four years got Lightbreaker a little bored, she must admit. They're so dull and arrogant, always trying to start fights with others, and trying to be better than everyone else. Were all the tribes like that? Maybe it's just a NightWing thing. I hope it's just a NightWing thing.

The clouds obscuring Jade Mountain faded away as the sun rose higher, and Lightbreaker noticed a yellow dragon standing in front of a cave entrance. That must be it, she thought, and gilded towards the entrance.

She assumed the dragon standing there was a SandWing, as her scales were a vibrant shade of yellow. The SandWing was helping a group of MudWings, who headed in right as Lightbreaker landed on the rock ledge. As they disappeared out of sight, the female SandWing turned back and smiled at Lightbreaker warmly. She had the exact same eye shape as Lightbreaker, though the SandWing's eyes were grayish green, and hers were black.

It was then when she realized the SandWing did not look like a SandWing at all. Compared to the few SandWings she saw in the past, this female SandWing's scale color seemed almost too bright. Her tail was sleek, with spikes running down to where the SandWing barb should have been.

"Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy!" The female SandWing said, turning her gaze towards Lightbreaker's face. "You're, hmm, Lightbreaker, right?"

Lightbreaker nodded, and the SandWing yelped in delight. "First time I guessed someone's name right today! I'm Sunny, by the way."

Oh, that made a lot of sense. It was Sunny, one of the Prophecy Dragonets, daughter of Queen Thorn and Stonemover. Lightbreaker was surprised she didn't recognize her earlier; she read tons of scrolls on them and their quest to end the SandWing Succession War.

"Your Winglet will be assigned later today, and if I remember correctly your clawmate is..." Sunny muttered something under her breath that Lightbreaker couldn't hear, "she isn't here yet, but you will meet her soon! Fourth cave to the right."

Lightbreaker nodded thanks and headed into the Academy, but soon remembered something and went back to Sunny again. "Do you know where the library is?" She asked.

Sunny laughed. "You really remind me of another dragonet I met twenty years ago." Lightbreaker briefly wondered who the dragonet was, before her thoughts wandered back to the conversation. The Prophecy Dragonet grinned even wider. "It's right across from your cave."

**A/N: For those of you who didn't see it on the pre-chapter, new chapters will be released bi-weekly on Sundays!**


	3. Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy- Part 2

Lightbreaker poked a head into the leaf-paned doors, finding the library empty. The cave was laid with scroll racks on top of scroll racks filled with tons and tons of scrolls, some on stone slabs, some in holes, some in ledges that the scrolls fit perfectly. There were hundreds, no, thousands of scrolls in that very cave.

It was more than Lightbreaker has ever seen. The two libraries Lightbreaker has been to- the NightWing and RainWing ones, both only held a rather small quantity of scrolls. There were a lot, sure, but most the scrolls in the NightWing village library were about faking their powers, while the RainWing scrolls were all boring poem collections that puts Lightbreaker to sleep after one glance.

Right! The Jade Mountain Academy library is said to have a larger scroll collection than anywhere else in Pyrrhia! And it wasn't that hard to believe, not after Lightbreaker saw it with her own eyes. She wanted to run inside immediately, bury her nose into scrolls, and never go outside again.

She shook her head. "Lightbreaker," she scolded herself, "remember what you promised yourself? Library after the second day ONLY. First day is for meeting and befriending dragons from all over the continent!" The thought of having to hold back her urge to read was terrifying, but hmm, meeting other dragons is just as good.

She hoped her clawmate wouldn't be a RainWing, because all the RainWings she met in the past were over-excited or boring. And the SkyWings, she remembered, had a reputation for being extremely grumpy.

The MudWings and SeaWings and SandWings aren't all that bad though, Lightbreaker thought as she paced back to her cave. And she had never met an IceWing before, but it is common knowledge that they are enemies of NightWings. _I wish I don't look that much like a NightWing_, _she sighed, then perhaps I would have a better chance of befriending them._

She adjusted her glasses and glance into the doorway, immediately surprised by what laid inside the sleeping cave. She had expected no more than a ledge lined with moss bedding, but instead Lightbreaker was welcomed with a cave she'd never dreamed of: on one side of the room, majestic trees rose from the cavern floor, different shaped leaves covering the ceiling. Vines hung from the branches looming overhead, tickling her snout a little as she stepped in.

The other side of the room was very bright, with the ceiling covered by a layer of white, glittering crystals, and decorative icicles that don't melt. The ground was covered with soft powder snow.

_So, my clawmate is an IceWing,_ Lightbreaker realized as she gaped upon the beautiful crystals. She didn't know how to feel of that- any other NightWing she knew would burst with anger at the moment of discovery. Lightbreaker, however, was not any other NightWing. She nearly jumped at the thought of being clawmates with an IceWing, except uneasiness filled her before she could do so. Were IceWings taught the same hatred towards NightWings?

"Are you really sure you'll be fine with a clawmate?" Came a voice not far down the hall, gradually nearing along with thumps of talon.

"Quite so, Mother." Another dragon, sounding much younger, replied.

"If you'd prefer a private, do tell me. I'm sure we can easily arrange that." The voices were getting dangerously close. Lightbreaker took off her glasses, turning to hide her pouch under her wings.

"It's alright, Mother," said the younger dragon. "Once they know of my status, no dragon would wish to get on the wrong side of me."

The older dragon sniffed. "True," she said. There was a pause, and a white head peeked through the doorway of the cave.

"Hmm, I thought Sunny said your clawmate was here already." The IceWing had a pair of regal diamond earrings on, and was staring inside with a condescending expression that froze Lightbreaker down to the bones. Lightbreaker managed to hold her breath, and remained camouflaged in the background of her corner.

A second IceWing walked in. "Perhaps she went somewhere else first." From the way she spoke, Lightbreaker guessed she was full-grown. But this IceWing standing in front of her must be no more than Lightbreaker's age. She scanned the part of the cave with crystals, then turned to examine where Lightbreaker was. Lightbreaker could've sworn the IceWing stared right into her eyes at least once.

"I suppose I'd stay here until your clawmate comes back then, Crystal." Said the older IceWing. Her eyes had, too, darted towards the trees and the vine-hanging branches.

Crystal turned back to her Mother. "There should be no need." She declared, now looking at the flooring right beside Lightbreaker. "It seems that my clawmate is merely a RainWing, nothing to worry about."

The older IceWing narrowed her eyes. "And how are you sure of that?"

Crystal traced one of her long, sharp claws over the strawberry leave beddings, close enough to Lightbreaker's snout that she nearly flinched. "Who other than RainWings would sleep on strawberry leaves?" She prompted.

Crystal's Mother blinked. "Well then, I suppose there's no more reason for me to stay." She glanced quickly at the trees again. "But if she's one of those NightWings, do give them some words to remember you by." _What does she mean, _those NightWings_?_ The older IceWing said it like how a RainWing would says _sloth killer_, and it occurred to Lightbreaker that she might be referring to her whole tribe.

Her blood turned even colder as the young IceWing grinned an emotionless smile. "Of course, Mother."

As the mother of her to-be clawmate exited their sleeping cave, Lightbreaker found herself making escape plans._ I could sneak out of the cave when she isn't looking, or I could challenge her head on… that wouldn't work, would it? IceWings are brilliant fighters._

Or, she remembered, she could use Animus magic to get herself out of here. She heard there were Animus spell detectors at Jade Mountain Academy, but getting discovered is by a notch better than getting ripped apart by an IceWing with some unknown grudge towards NightWings. _Well, I'll do that if the first plan fails_, Lightbreaker decided.

"Phew! Finally got rid of Mother." Crystal muttered to herself. "She's a bit too possessive sometimes, you know?" The IceWing was staring directly at Lightbreaker as she said that, and she began to doubt the IceWing was speaking only to herself.

Crystal tapped her tail on the ground impatiently. "You're not going to reveal yourself any time soon, huh?" She said, her voice rising. "Fine by me, RainWing. I know all about you, anyways." Lightbreaker's heart skipped a beat.

"Your name… it's not a very RainWing one, is it? Just going by the name, I would have guessed you're a NightWing. However, I wouldn't call it a very NightWing-like name either." Lightbreaker calmed a bit at the confirmation that Crystal _didn't_ know everything about her. If the IceWing can't tell whether she's a NightWing or a RainWing, her secret is definitely safe.

But, who is this Crystal? Claiming straight that she knew everything about her. Maybe this was just an assumption, a bravado to get Lightbreaker to reveal herself. Maybe Crystal doesn't really know her name. She hopes Crystal doesn't really know her name.

Crystal walked over to the pile of strawberry leaves she was crouching silently on, glaring right into her eyes. "What do you say, Lightbreaker?" She said with a huge grin on her face, but all Lightbreaker could see was her two dark blue pools of eyes, dead as a trampled puddle.


	4. Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy- Part 3

Lightbreaker suddenly had the urge to make herself disappear from the world this very moment. It was her choice to come to Jade Mountain, but she never expected it to go like this. It was only the first day!

As she quietly stared back at Crystal's emotionless, dark blue eyes, Lightbreaker felt all her fears being confirmed. The world is a dangerous place. Dragons from different tribes are hostile towards each other. Her clawmate is a haughty and very very _very _malicious IceWing. It was all spiraling down in the worst way possible.

Lightbreaker did think of several ways out of the situation, but all of them included using her magic, which she'd very much like to avoid if possible. _The strawberry might work though, _she reminded herself.

Slowly, Lightbreaker reached her talon towards the pouch she was hiding under her wings, and jumped a little as her claws scraped against the soft leather. The smooth but bumpy texture reminded of the tiny Lightbreaker when she first got this pouch, promising to herself that one day she would step out of her comfort zone and talk to dragons all over the continent.

She halted at the thought, suddenly feeling guilty that she almost ruined her dream. Her talons returned back to the ground, a bit less shaky than how they were a minute ago. _But would I risk getting killed by an angry IceWing? Would I rather die than get to safety? Do I really want to meet new dragons?_

_Am I _that _willing to die over my dream?_

Lightbreaker planned uncountable ways out of this situation, but was unable to stop her own mind from reaching a dumb conclusion. _Yeah, probably._

She looked up at Crystal warily, who continued eyeing her with the same superior demeanor, and shifted her scales back to their normal, dark colour. Crystal's wings flared back a bit, going a bit askew as she covered it with a very fake and exaggerated cough.

"You look very NightWing to me," she continued after awkwardly folding her wings back to place, "Is that a NightWing power? Oh wait, prophecy and mind reading doesn't include color shifting scales. Are you a hybrid? Can you, um, change colours or anything?" She glanced behind Lightbreaker's ears, probably trying to look for the RainWing ruffs which Lightbreaker does not have.

"I can't change colours," Lightbreaker said cautiously, wondering how much she should reveal about herself. "And my father is half NightWing and half RainWing. I guess that makes me a quarter RainWing?" She finished, leaving her voice to end as a question. This type of tone will make her sound unsure of herself, thus making herself look less threatening to other dragons. It was a tactic she often used to squirm her way past the NightWings who looked like their tail was bitten by a fire and when they woke up.

Crystal merely sniffed. "Interesting. I've never seen a real hybrid before. What else do you have, chameleon tails? Venom-shooting teeth?" She glanced curiously at Lightbreaker's snout.

_What in the name of Pyrrhia is she trying to do? _Lightbreaker thought, immediately pulling back. "I do not." She snapped. "The only thing I can do is camouflage my scales. Done. Nothing else. Nada. Stop staring at me like I'm some sort of an exotic bee!"

The last sentence slipped out before Lightbreaker could stop herself. From the twisted way Crystal's face looked, she is clearly not amused. Okay, she is regretting this now. Back to the "escape her furious clawmate" plan. Crystal stepped forward with a menacing expression, forcing Lightbreaker to bunch up against the freezing stone walls. "Do you, NightWing," she hissed, "have _any_ idea who I am?"

"I am Princess Crystal," she said, "daughter of Queen Snowfall, and heir to the IceWing throne. The IceWing who came in with me was the queen herself, but not only did you not greet her, you stayed hidden like a spy would." She spread her wings open dramatically, and narrowed her eyes menacingly at Lightbreaker.

"This is treason!" Crystal declared. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, NightWing?" The IceWing princess ended her over-flaunting sentence abruptly.

_Should I make an escape now? _Lightbreaker looked at her talons. One spell was all she needed to get away from this. But, wait… Crystal sounded a bit off as she ended her sentence. It occured to Lightbreaker that there might still be another way out of this situation.

"Sorry, your highness," she said after taking a deep breath, "but I wouldn't call it _treason. _More of a self-defense on my part. After your conversation with the Queen on talking the ears out of NightWings, who _wouldn't?_" _Oh, wait, was that a bit too impolite?_

A strong wind came gushing into the caves, making Lightbreaker shiver as it surged into the caves. She wasn't sure whether it was the wind that made her feel this cold, or the piercing stare coming from Crystal's dark blue eyes. Lightbreaker was a bit impressed (though mostly scared) at how Crystal was creating a figurative blizzard in the cave with only her eyes. Trying not to flinch, she held the same hard stare back at the princess.

After an eternity or two, Crystal's expression shifted, her face lightening slightly. Then it turned into a smile. Then a grin, which soon became a wave of laughter like the bright sunshine that shot through the looming trees every morning in the rainforest.

"Self-defense, huh?" The IceWing princess said after stopping for breath. "That was more than my Mother asked for!" Lightbreaker was still a bit shaken from her sudden burst of laughter, and was relieved to hear Crystal's hostile tone fading away.

"I feel like you can be trusted. You are my clawmate, after all," Crystal continued. "It'd be pretty tiring if I have to play that facade my entire stay here. Mother did tell me to instate some fear on dragons from the other tribes, though. Because we IceWings are _so_ powerful." Crystal rolled her eyes, and Lightbreaker had to smile again.

She was overthinking everything. All the dragonets at Jade Mountain were probably claw-picked by their tribe and sent here to learn- just like Lightbreaker. They are too, most likely, as nervous as she was. There can't possibly be anyone with bad intentions here.

With the differences between the tribes, the only way they're ever going to befriend each other is to trust. This was how the academy survived for the past two decades, according to her parents. As a school for peace. A school where you learn to trust the dragons around you. And that is what Lightbreaker should be doing.

Three deep, rustic notes echoed their ways to their cave. Lightbreaker perked as the last note trailed slowly to its end, turning back to Crystal when it did.

"You might want to pull that facade back up for now," she said to her clawmate. "That's the bell for the Great Hall. We're going to meet our Winglet!"

* * *

"Also, how _did _you know my name?"

"Sunny, obviously!"

"Right… of course it was her..."


End file.
